Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System with An Access Panel

ABSTRACT

A pre-plumbed shower stall system with an access panel is designed. The pre-plumbed shower stall is a complete panelized system. The stall includes a floor pan, front glass frame with doors, and back wall panels. The stall system integrates all plumbing components such as mixing control valves, massaging jets and shower heads onto one back panel. This panel is so called function panel. The function panel is screwed to its adjacent stall panels in such a way that the plumbing components on the function panel can be easily accessed for future repairs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Shower stall in this invention means shower stalls sitting on a shower pan or a soaking tub. Traditionally in US, shower stalls have water supplies and shower control valves built inside bathroom walls with shower pans or tubs on the ground for collecting and draining the water. Constructing or repairing a shower stall involves an elaborate work of demolition, construction, water-proofing and tiling the stall walls and floors. On the other hand, a new type of shower stall begins to emerge, which is built as a free standing unit with complete walls, pan or tub, and even a roof. This free standing shower stall doesn't require water-proof tiled walls or floors. One of the drawbacks for this new shower stall is that it has to be constructed around the exterior perimeters of the stall, i.e., about 24 inches of space from the perimeters of the stall are needed so that a person can fit in there to install the stall walls and plumbing components. After all water supplies and drain are plumbed, the stall is moved to its designated location in the bathroom. However, most of bathrooms don't have the extra 24 inches space around stall's perimeters needed for the installation. Tight space in the bathroom makes the installation hard or just impossible for this new type shower stalls. Another drawback of this new bathing stall is that it is hard to repair. People have to move the whole stall away from the walls to get access to the plumbing components in the back.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A pre-plumbed shower stall system with an access panel is invented. The pre-plumbed shower stall is a complete panelized system. The invented shower stall system allows people to install the shower stall from just the interior area of the stall (the area the shower pan or tub occupies). The stall system integrates all plumbing components (such as control valves, shower heads, jets) into one or two panels (so called functional panels). The pluming components on the functional panels can be easily accessed for the installation and for future repairs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is an overall view of the pre-plumbed bathing stall designed.

FIG. 2 shows connection joint between the front panel and the left-side-panel

FIG. 3 shows connection joint between the left-side panel and the left-back panel.

FIG. 4 shows how the functional panel attached to the left-back-panel.

FIG. 5 shows how the functional panel attached to the right-back-panel.

FIG. 6 shows connection joint between the right-side panel and the right-back panel.

FIG. 7 shows all connections of the designed shower.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

1. The Physical Structure

The invented pre-plumbed shower stall system consists of units as follows as shown in FIG. 1:

Front Door Frame Assembly

The front door frame assembly has two fixed glass panels, two sliding glass doors, door sliding tracks, and fixed supporting frames.

Side Panels

Side panels are made of glasses with metal or aluminum wrapped edges.

Back Panels

Back panels are made of glasses with metal or aluminum wrapped edges. Shower grab bars are attached to back panels.

Function Panel

Function panel is made of glasses or ABS plastics with metal or aluminum wrapped edges. All plumbing components are installed onto this panel such as control valves, massage jets, and shower heads.

Shower Stall Pan or Tub

The shower pan or tub is made of ABS plastics backed by fiberglass and steel beams.

Shower Stall Roof

The roof is made of ABS plastics with an air exchange fan, radio speaker, an overhead shower head.

2. Operation of Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System with Access Panel

Pre-plumbed shower stall system with an access panel is designed to be easy for on-site installation and easy for future repairs. The shower stall can be constructed from the interior area of the stall. Here is how this design works:

Prepare the area that the shower stall shall be installed, and have both hot and cold water supply lines ready.

Install the floor pan (or tub) of the shower stall, connect the floor drain, and secure the floor pan (or tub) to wall studs.

Connect the side panels to the back panels (FIG. 3 and FIG. 6)

Connect the side panels to the front frame (FIG. 2 and FIG. 7)

Connect the function panel to both left and right back panels (FIGS. 4 and 5). The function panel can be removed and to get access to the plumbing components by removing the mounting screws to the back panels.

Secure the side panels and back panels to adjacent wall studs.

CROSS-REFERENCES FOR THE INVENTION OF PRE-PLUMBED SHOWER STALL SYSTEM WITH ACCESS PANEL

U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,031 John W. Moore, et al

A modular, pre-plumbed shower unit is invented for rapid shower installation. The modular unit is mounted to a wall that water supplies are at. The pre-plumbed shower unit in this invention is basically a pre-plumbed modular wall to interface with the wall that has water supplies.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,919,049 Meserini

A prefabricated, transportable, ADA compliant, temporary addition, providing ADA accessible bathing, hygiene, and optional laundry facilities to the disabled occupants are invented. The invented facilities are additions of a whole bathroom to houses structurally. 

1. A Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System comprising a bathing shower pan (or a tub), a front door frame with fixed panels and doors, two side panels, two back panels, and a function panel, wherein, the front door frame, the side panels, and back panels are designed in such ways that they allow people to install the bathing stall within the interior area of the pan (the area the shower pan or tub occupies).
 2. The said Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System of claim 1 further comprising a function panel with pre-plumbed water control valves, massaging jets, shower heads, LED lights, and radio built on it, wherein the function panel can be taken off from interior area the stall system for future repairs.
 3. The said Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System of claims 1 and 2 further comprising a bathing shower pan (or a tub), a front door frame with fixed panels and doors, two side panels, and one function panel, wherein, the front door frame, the two side panels and function panel are designed in such ways that they form a corner shower system, to fit to a corner in a room.
 4. The said Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System of claims 1 and 2 further comprising a bathing shower pan (or a tub), a front door frame without fixed panels and doors, two side panels, two back panels, and a function panel, wherein, the front door frame, the side panels, the back panels, and function panel are designed in such ways that they form a shower system with an open front for people to get in and out easily.
 5. The said Pre-Plumbed Shower Stall System of claim 3 further comprising a bathing shower pan (or a tub), a front door frame without fixed panels and doors, two back panels, and a function panel, wherein, the front door frame, the side panels, and function panel are designed in such ways that they form a corner shower system with an open front for people to get in and out easily.
 6. The said Pre-plumbed Shower Stall System of claims 1 to 5 further comprising a front door frame with or without fixed panels and doors, with or without two side panels, two back panels, and a function panel, wherein, the front door frame, the side panels, the back panels, and function panel are designed in such ways that they form a shower system without using a shower pan or tub. 